成群结队

• Pinyin: chéng qún jié duì
• Hanzi breakdown: 成 = to form; 群 = crowd/group; 结 = to tie/form; 队 = team/line

Meaning

In groups; in crowds; in flocks. Describes people or animals gathering and moving together.

A four-character idiom emphasizing collective movement or gathering. Can describe animals (flocks, herds), people (crowds, groups), or even abstract things. Often implies purposeful group action.

Examples

1. 放学后，学生们成群结队地走出校门。 After school, students walked out of the school gates in groups.
2. 草原上，牛羊成群结队地吃草。 On the grassland, cattle and sheep graze together in herds.
3. 游客成群结队地涌向这个新开的景点。 Tourists flocked in crowds to this newly opened attraction.

Usage Guide

Context: description, crowds, animals

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 蚂蚁成群结队地搬运食物。(Ants carry food in organized groups.)
• 年轻人成群结队地去看这部新电影。(Young people went in droves to see this new movie.)

Don't Say

• 他一个人成群结队 (Contradictory — cannot be used for individuals)

Origin & History

Idiom combining 成群 (forming groups) and 结队 (forming lines/teams). Both parts emphasize collective organization.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal